LGBT travellers: changes to vaccine certificates

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Transgender travellers may face difficulties at border controls or immigration points if they present as a different gender than the gender stated in their passport [1]. British citizens need to apply for a new passport if they change their name and/or gender as they will not be allowed to travel if they have booked travel under a different name to the name recorded on their passport [2].

In order to apply to change their name on a passport, a British citizen needs to provide an affidavit, deed poll or statutory declaration [2]. To change gender on a passport, a British citizen need to supply a Gender Recognition Certificate or a new birth or adoption certificate showing their acquired gender, or a letter from their doctor or medical consultant confirming their change of gender is likely to be permanent [2].

If the details on a polio or yellow fever ICVP relating to acquired gender and/or current name do not match the passport, the traveller could have problems at border controls or immigration points. National Travel Health Network and Centre guidance advises that if an original ICVP has been subject to name change for any reason, including gender re-alignment, and where an accurate medical record of the previous vaccination can be seen, a health professional at a Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre can issue a replacement ICVP for yellow fever vaccine [3].This would also apply to a polio vaccine ICVP’s.